Typographical composing machine



NOV. 24, 1936. SCOTT 2,061,881

TYPOGRAPHICAL COMPOSING MACHINE Filed July 27, 1935 Patented Nov. 24, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TYPOGRAPHICAL COMLOSING MACHINE land Application July 27, 1935, Serial No.i33,422 In Great Britain August 10, 1934 6 Claims. (01. 199-23) This invention relates to typographical composing machines such as those known commer cially under the registered trade-mark Linotype, wherein circulating matrices stored in a magazine are released therefrom in order of composition by a series of escapements, the actuation of which is controlled from the keyboard of the machine.

In some machines of this kind eachmagazine carries its own escapement mechanism which is brought into operative relationship with the escapement actuating devices when the magazine is in operative position on the machine, and the escapement mechanism is relied upon to prevent the discharge of matrices from the magazine when the latter is removed from the machine. To prevent accidental actuation of the escapements during the handling of a magazine for removal or replacement, it has been found desirable to provide escapement locking devices which are brought into action when a magazine is moved.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved form of such locking device of simple construction which can be readily applied to the magazine itself, and which will be automatically brought into and out of action independently of any special co-operating members on the machine frame such as have heretofore been provided in connection with devices of this character.

The escapement locking device according to the invention comprises a locking strip extending transversely across the magazine beneath the escapement mechanism, normally held in active position to lock the escapements when the magazine is removed from the machine, and which is moved automatically to inactive position to free the escapements for normal actuation when the magazine is placed in position on the machine frame.

The invention is hereinafter more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawing, illustrating one constructional form thereof. In the said drawing:

Figure 1 is an underside view, partly broken away, of the lower end of a magazine;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1 showing the magazine in its normal position in relation to the machine frame;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section also taken on 50 the line 22 of Figure 1, but showing the magazine removed from the machine frame, and

Figure 4 is a section, similar to Figure 2, as regards the position of the parts, taken on the line 44 of Figure 1.

In the drawing the invention is shown applied to a magazine I carrying at its underside a socalled escapement bar 2 in which the escapement mechanism is mounted. The said mechanism comprises a series of escapement levers 3 adapted to rock on wires or rods 4 under the action of springs 5 and plungers 6 which are actuated by strikers (not shown) controlled from the keyboard of the machine. When in position on the machine, the magazine is supported on a machine frame member I, from which it may be removed when desired by raising the front end of the magazine and sliding the rear end forwardly along the supporting member I. The construction and mode of operation of the parts above referred to are well known and therefore need not be further described herein.

According to the invention, an escapement locking bar 8 is arranged to engage behind the plungers 6 toprevent their rearward escapementactuating movement, said bar 8 being secured at each of its ends to the lower arm of a lever 9 pivoted at H] to the respective side of the escapement bar 2.

The locking bar 8 is held in the active position, in which it is shown in Figure 3, by springs H secured in recesses in the escapement bar 2 and acting on the upper arms of the levers 9. When the escapement locking bar 8 is thus held by the springs Ii, projections l2 on the upper arms of the levers 9 extend beyond the plane of the underside of the escapement bar 2, so that as the magazine is applied to the supporting member i of the machine frame and lowered into contact therewith, the projections l2 are moved inwardly and the levers 9 actuated to move the locking bar 8 to the inactive position shown in Figure 2, where it is held against the action of the springs l i by the weight of the magazine l.

During the removal of a magazine, the springs H serve to return the locking bar 8 to active position immediately the lower end of the magazine is raised away from the machine frame member 71 preparatory to the removal, and the location of the locking bar 8 and of its supporting levers 9 reduce to a minimum the risk of displacement of the locking strip in any subsequent handling of the magazine.

It will be understood that the invention has been shown and described herein merely in a preferred form by way of example, and that modifications may be made therein, for instance as may be necessary for the co-operation of the escapement lock with different forms of escapement mechanism, without departing from the invention.

Having described my invention, I declare that what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:-

1. In a typographical composing machine, the combination with a matrix magazine, a series of matrix releasing escapements carried by the magazine and a machine frame member on which the magazine is removably supported, of a straightedge escapement locking bar movable edgewise to active and inactive position for preventing and permitting actuation of the escapements, and means carried by the magazine adapted automatically to move said locking bar edgewise to inactive and active positions respectively as the magazine is applied to and removed from said machine frame member.

2. In a typographical composing machine, the combination with a matrix magazine, a series of matrix releasing escapements carried by the magazine and a machine frame member on which the magazine is removably supported, of an escapement locking bar movable edgewise to active and inactive position for preventing and permitting actuation of the escapements, and pivoted levers carried by the magazine supporting said locking bar at its respectively opposite ends, said levers being loaded to hold the bar in locking engagement with the escapement mechanism and adapted to be actuated to free the escapement by contact with the machine frame member when the magazine is applied thereto.

3. In a typographical composing machine, the combination with a matrix magazine, a series of matrix releasing escapements carried by the magazine and a machine frame member on which the magazine is removably supported, of an escapement locking bar movable edgewise to active and inactive position for preventing and permitting actuation of the escapements, pivoted levers carried by the magazine supporting said locking bar at its respectively opposite ends, and a spring acting on each lever normally tending to retain the bar in escapement-locking position with the free end of the lever extending beyond the plane of the magazine so as to engage with and be actuated by the machine frame member when the magazine is applied to said member.

4. In a typographical composing machine, a combination according to claim 1, wherein the escapement actuating mechanism comprises a row of slidable plungers, and wherein the escapement locking bar is movable edgewise into and out of engagement with said plungers to prevent or permit their actuation.

5. In or for a typographical composing machine, a magazine having a series of matrix-releasing escapements and an escapement locking device mounted thereon, said locking device com prising a bar movable edgewise into and out of escapement-locking position, and a pivoted 1ever supporting said bar, said lever being loaded to hold the bar in locking position with an arm of the lever extending beyond the plane of the magazine.

6. In or for a typographical composing maphine, a magazine equipped with a matrix releasing escapement mechanism presenting a series of actuating plungers and with a locking bar adjustable into and out of engaging relation to said plungers in preventing or permitting the operation of the escapement mechanism, said locking bar in its unlocking position being located out of the plane of the actuating plungers and in its locking position being located in said plane.

RICHARD HENRY SCOTT. 

